2021-04-19 09:06:00 GMT2021-04-19 17:06:00(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
COLOMBO, April 19 (Xinhua) The number of COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka reached 617 on Monday after one more death was reported, official statistics from the Health Ministry showed.
According to official figures, Sri Lanka has recorded 96,439 COVID-19 cases since the first local patient was detected in March last year, out of which 93,113 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, bringing down the active patient count to 2,709.
Sri Lanka s Health Ministry has made it mandatory to wear face masks and maintain social distancing in public and anyone defying these laws may be arrested.
2021-04-16 11:05:53 GMT2021-04-16 19:05:53(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
COLOMBO, April 16 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka is facing a severe shortage of AstraZeneca vaccines due to a ban on vaccine exports imposed by the Indian government amid a rise in COVID-19 infections, local media reported Friday.
Quoting officials from Sri Lanka s State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC), it said Sri Lanka s Health Ministry was awaiting an update from the Serum Institute in India which manufactures the AstraZeneca vaccines and had already supplied 1 million doses to the island country since January. However, Serum Institute is now unable to ship the further 1 million doses.
According to the SPC, the Serum Institute was expected to send a further 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines in April and another 500,000 doses in May but they were now unsure when the shipments would arrive, leading to a severe shortage to give the second dosages to those who have already received the first jabs.
Sri Lanka faces shortage of AstraZeneca vaccines southeastasiapost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from southeastasiapost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
PM on two day official visit to Bangladesh Daily News (via HT Media Ltd.)
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will leave for Bangladesh today on a two-day state visit, on an invitation extended by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The visit will coincide with the celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has granted approval to undertake the state visit to Bangladesh as a Bio Secure Travel Bubble adhering to strict COVID-19 preventive measures.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa will be delivering a speech on Friday evening at the event to mark the conclusion of the “Mujib Year,” declared to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangladesh’s Independence.